Bio/Artist Statement — Janine Barrera Castillo

Photo Credit: Vincent Gotti

Bio

Originally from the Island of Cebu, Janine Barrera Castillo began her formal art education at the University of the Philippines, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, with a Major in Painting. While at University, she garnered several awards for various art competitions, most notably winning First Place three times over in the prestigious Jose Joya Awards.

Immediately after graduation, her career began with two solo art shows as well as constant participation in numerous group shows. But it was through a scholarship competition, a Study for the United States Full Scholarship Competition offered by the Starr Foundation of New York that landed her an opportunity to further her studies in the United States. She then pursued her Masters in Fine Arts Degree at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Janine B Castillo has since been an exhibiting artist with several solo and group shows in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as her native Philippines. She can be found most days of the week working in her Artist Studio located in the North Bay.

Artist Statement

My landscapes are not a slavish accounting of nature; instead, they capture the energetic interaction of color, line, form, and texture. I build shapes through color, exploring their relationships to strike an elegant balance between geometry and organic forms, and between visual reference and non-objectivity.

Every painting begins with a simple problem: the relationship between two or three colors. As I explore these dynamics, I build forms that evolve into complex, highly energetic designs. I typically work on two or three pieces simultaneously, laying down underpaintings and carving out bare compositional structures. As the work progresses, I shift my focus to one canvas at a time-layering color, details, and shapes while carefully contemplating how each decision alters the overall design scheme.

Oil paint is central to my practice. Its luxurious layering qualities are incomparable, offering a rich pigment that ensures a vibrancy and luminosity unmatched by other mediums. The thick consistency satisfies my need for tangible texture, while its blending qualities allow for seamless, fluid gradients.

While my work is rooted in figurative abstraction, it is deeply shaped and informed by the natural environment around me, such as Rockville Hills. Working in this manner allows me to resolve the dualities of life: the struggle between inner and outer realities, and the tension between the physical and spiritual worlds. This process balances my need for self-expression and independence from the literal world with a desire to pay homage to the identifiable forms of nature. Ultimately, my wish is for my work to exist in its own visual reality, evoking deep emotion and contemplation rather than a straightforward depiction of daily life.